We've been playing around with the new GoPro Hero Wide helmet camera, and we are impressed! The new 170 degree super wide angle lens on the Hero Wide camera produces impressive results, what's more you have a lot of fun getting them.

We've nowtested the camera on motorcross tracks, trials bikes, paragliding, speedflying, skiing, sledging and snow kiting. It's been splattered with mud and rocks, bashed about in rucksacks and covered in snow and slush and exposed to all sorts of Lake District weather... My kids even had it in the bath!

The cameras come in bomb-proof waterproof housings that have been tested to 30m/100". When you combine the new lens wide angle glass lens with the new 5MP resolution sensor, better exposure and different useful modes, the GoPro Hero Wide range has moved from being an enthusiast's toy to a really useful and fun bit of kit.

The great thing about the GoPro range is just how robust the cases are. Get them muddy and all you have to do is run it under the tap. Make sure it's clean before you open the back though, you don't want to risk getting anything in the seal. The closing mechanism is very solid, no chance of accidentally opening it.

The other great thing about the case is; it's small. Take the camera out and it's tiny, not much bigger than a match box. It looks like a toy, but the you remember that it's capable of taking 5MP stills and nearly an hour of video, all self contained, without extra wires, etc.

This compact, wire-less design and multiple monting options are good for discovering new and creative places to mount the camera, remote options that don't need to be within hand. For example, mounted on the leading edge of a hang glider, on the wing of a glider, the nose of a surfboard, or under the bumper of a car.

This is where the GoPro camera might really stand out compared to more expensive options with their cables, battery packs and recorder units and in many cases might be by far the easiest way to capture striking camera angles and extreme or just unusual situations.

The GoPro is easy to use, operated by two buttons. The "TV Quality Video" refers to the resolution of the captured video, which is enough to fuill a standard definition TV screen at 512 x 384 pixels. The video is perfect for use on the internet and has even been used in short clips on DVD's; cutting in to the GoPro footage for crazy angle or unique shots.

The "photo every 2 or 5 seconds" mode is excellent. It makes very interesting stop motion video if all the shots are played back quickly. The stills produced can be very good quality even blown up to magazine/A4 size.

To download your shots, use a separate card reader, the camera's built in downloading is slow and you just waste batteries. Talking of batteries, always use the best that you can, Lithium batteries are best or good 1000MaH rechargeables are pretty good if you have a decent charger.

The main differences between the different camera models are the mounting options included in each package:

• The Helmet Hero Wide includes 4 unique mounting systems, which is by far the most versatile selection of mounts shipping with any system on the market today.
• The Motorsports Hero Wide includes the versatile Suction Cup mount.
• The new Surf Hero Wide includes a strong adhesive mount plate plus a standard Fin Control Systems (FCS) mounting option as well that you can get built into your new board!

I wouldn't recommend the GoPro if you are after high quality footage, the results can't be compared to Mini DV or even most compacts that provide higher resolution video.

The camera is recommended to anyone who wants to take advantage of the waterproof/shockproof case, the multitude of mounting options, the super wide angle and the various useful modes to capture unusual, unique and fun video and images for a wide range of purposes. Provided you understand the limitations and use it's strengths you certainly won't be disappointed.